December 10, 2012

"I received a call from Dan at Goetz to confirm they started clearing snow at 6:00 pm Saturdayand will be finishing clean up today. Hugo had 16 inches of snow! I have been providing homeowners that call with the following information.

Thank you

Please refer to the following Snow Fall Parameters that are required by your Association and Vender. You had 9+” of snow last night.

Snow Fall Parameters

2”-4” – All snowfalls of 2” or more will be plowed. Plowing includes driveways and walkways. Additionally, areas prone to ice buildup will receive applications of de-icing chemicals. Snow removal will begin when substantial accumulation has ceased.

4”-9” – Single storms that are forecasted to produce accumulations of 4”-9” inches will be plowed and de-iced to allow safe travel during the first service. Trucks will be dispatched when accumulation reaches 3.5”-4.0” at the job site. A final plowing will be performed when substantial accumulation has ceased. During final clean up all areas prone to ice buildup will receive applications of de-icing chemicals.

9+” – Single storms that are forecasted to produce 9” plus of accumulation will be serviced to allow a flow of traffic in/out of driveways. Plowing will continue during the entire storm to achieve the above. Final plowing will be performed when substantial accumulation has ceased. During final clean up all areas prone to ice buildup will receive applications of de-icing chemicals.

The Association, working with the Contractor, reserves the right to push/pile the snow anywhere on the common areas where it is most cost effective for the Association. This may mean that areas adjacent to individual units and/or yards may be used for the storage of plowed snow.

Note: According to the contract city sidewalks will be plowed within 24 hrs of the completion of a snowfall. This is done because city sidewalk is considered a non-critical service.

December 4, 2012

This message is going out to gage how much interest there is in having an ice skating rink at Val Jean Park and potentially Arbre Park. We have two beautiful parks that are otherwise abandoned during the winter months. I already know plenty of kids, as well as adults, in the neighborhood who would love to get outside to skate, learn to skate and/or play hockey.

Unfortunately, the City of Hugo has only one public hockey rink located by Hugo Elementary School and it is maintained by the residents who live near it. After meeting with Scott Anderson, the Hugo Public Works Director, I learned that the City of Hugo does not have any sort of funds for hockey rinks, general skating rinks, warming houses or lights. This is unfortunate for kids who would love to be able to figure skate or play hockey, but may not learn until a later age or just wont have the opportunity to develop like the kids in neighboring cities. For comparison, Shoreview and Arden Hills have skating facilities at Sitzer Park, Wilson Park, Shoreview Commons Park, Cummings Park, Bucher Park, Bobby Theisen Park, McCullough Park, Shamrock Park, Valentine Park, Freeway Park, Hazelnut Park, Perry Park as well as 3 rinks in North Oaks. Each park has a warming house, a general skating rink, a hockey rink and lights.

So far I have pulled together a small group of people in the neighborhood who I knew would be interested in a rink. What we would like to do is find out how many others are interested, who would be willing to assist in planning, and who else would be on board with funding the necessary materials. After speaking with Scott, I have learned that the City of Hugo would store the boards during the summer months and that we would have access to water for flooding the rinks.

I would like to get a larger group of interested residents together to come up with a plan that we can submit to the ARC Review Board. In an ideal world we would have a hockey rink, a general skating rink, lights and a warming house. What we will most likely propose is a temporary (winter months only), slightly smaller hockey rink with short boards and a general skating rink for those who do not wish to play hockey but would like to skate.

If you have any interest in being a part of this initiative, please contact me by December 10th.

Hugo's Public Works Director, Scott Anderson and I discussed this subject over the phone earlier this week. We both agreed that more information might be helpful, especially if that info comes from the City of Hugo. Accordingly, Mr. Anderson sent me the following email yesterday:

On Nov 28, 2012, at 9:19 AM, Scott Anderson wrote:

Mark,

There have been a few questions regarding the City’s request for boulevard trees to be trimmed in the Victor Gardens neighborhood. I thought I’d send you a quick email to help understand why the request is being made.

Years ago, CPDC and City of Hugo staff met to discuss maintenance responsibilities in the parks and common areas of the development. It was agreed that all boulevard trees, except in park areas and adjacent boulevards, would be maintained by the HOA or homeowners. This is why when a boulevard tree, not adjacent to a park, is hit by a car (or eaten by a beaver) the HOA is responsible for its replacement. The City does pick up and remove the dead tree for public safety reasons. This agreement gave the homeowners of Victor Gardens a bit more control over how and when the maintenance of the boulevard trees was performed.

The City of Hugo is requesting that the HOA and homeowners perform the much needed pruning of the boulevard trees to prevent future damage to limbs by City equipment used during maintenance activities such as snow plowing and street sweeping. Up to this point, HOA direction has been for minimal pruning and the result is trees with limbs beginning to grow out into the roadway. City staff would like to see the trees pruned in a way that encourages upward growth and eventually outward growth.

With that being said, the Hugo Public Works Department is willing to perform the tree pruning, however, it would be done according to the City’s “Tree Trimming Policy” and a more aggressive approach (to maximize the time between pruning) would be taken. The request from the City for the HOA and homeowners allows the residents to perform the pruning in a manner that better suits themselves and still satisfies intent of the City’s policy.

For those SFV residents who responded to my pruning inquiry email, thank you. I've submitted to Goetz Landscape Inc. an approximate number of boulevard trees that residents said they might be interested in having Goetz prune. Additionally, a number of you said that you had other side-yard or back-yard trees that you might be interested in pruning also. A few of you also asked about removing dead shrubs, beaver damaged, trees, etc.

Now that Goetz has that raw data, I'd expect them to respond within the next few days with pricing and next steps for those interested residents.

November 28, 2012

The Victor Gardens North Village Villas sub-association is seeking volunteers on Saturday, December 1st around 1:00 PM to help decorate trees. Volunteers will work together to beautify the North Village Villas entry/approach with holiday lights.

November 16, 2012

As many of you know, the City of Hugo asked me to communicate with our residents about our boulevard trees. The City eventually wants to see a 12 to 15 foot clearance under each of Victor Gardens' boulevard trees. This will likely be an ongoing, multi-year effort. I posted an article regarding this on our website a few weeks ago. Click here for the full story.

Since our boulevard trees are owned by each of us individually and not by the association, residents may hire a professional to perform this service or do it themselves. Victor Gardens Master Association and its various condo sub-associations are hiring Goetz Landscape to prune their collectively owned boulevard trees.

Dan Steuernagel from Goetz Landscape asked me roughly how many Single Family Village homeowners might be interested in specially priced tree pruning this winter. Goetz would like to offer our Victor Gardens Single Family Village homeowners a deal:For those of you who are familiar with our neighborhood's yearly discounted (bulk rate) lawn detaching, sprinkler blow-out, and core aeration services- it would work similarly:

Trees would be pruned for a flat per-tree price; regardless of size, age, species, etc.

All work would be performed by Goetz on one pre-determined "Pruning Day" in December.

Homeowners would need to sign up with Goetz on before this date (granting Goetz permission to be on their property and to prune their trees).

Homeowners would need to have a check and completed permission slip ready at their front door (hanging on a doorknob or under the mat) before Goetz arrived on the "Pruning Day".

If no check and permission slip was left, then Goetz would not prune the trees.

As a neighborhood, we haven't done this before. I'm a little uncertain how many trees we're talking about. Goetz Landscape could offer us a better deal if more trees were included in the "Pruning Day". Dan can set a price if he knows roughly how many homeowners are interested. More trees = a greater discount for everyone.

November 11, 2012

The Single Family Village will hold a board meeting at the VG Activity Center this Thursday, November 15th starting at 7P. A formal agenda is still being drafted but topics will include beaver damage, new construction updates, Master Board updates, financials and more.

As always, SFV residents are encouraged to attend. There will be a portion of the agenda set aside for a resident forum.

November 8, 2012

SINCE THIS WAS THE COMMITTEE’S FIRST MEETING WE WANTED TO
ESTABLISH OUR PURPOSE.WE SEE THIS
COMMITTEE MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE MASTER BOARD BASED ON WHAT THE
COMMUNITY WANTS.WE ARE SPECIFICALLY
INTERESTED IN LAND USE, DEMOGRAPHICS, VOLUNTEERISM, COMMUNICATION, AND
ESTABLISHING RELATIONSHIPS WITH LONG TERM PLANNING COMMITTEES WITHIN OUR LARGER
COMMUNITY.

OUR ACTION PLAN:

1.CREATE A SURVEY TO DISTRIBUTE TO THE VICTOR
GARDENS THROUGH THE VARIOUS SUB-ASSOCIATIONS.WE WOULD LIKE TO DETERMINE THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE AREA, ESTABLISH
DESIRED COMMUNICATION METHODS, AND ASK WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO THEM CONCERNING OUR
NEIGHBORHOOD.WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO TAKE
THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE WITH OUR NEIGHBORS WHAT THE ORIGINAL VISION FOR THE
COMMUNITY WAS.

2.WE WOULD LIKE TO PLAN ANOTHER MEETING TO INCLUDE
OUR OTHER MEMBER, RACHEL BERGER BEFORE PROCEEDING ON SPECIFIC PROJECTS.

3.WE WILL ASK THE MASTER BOARD FOR A BUDGET TO
HELP WITH ANY INITIAL COSTS INCLUDING POSTAGE, ETC, AND TO USE IN THE EVENT WE
NEED TO PAY FOR A SPECIFIC PROFESSIONAL BID.INITIALLY WE WILL ASK FOR $1,000.IF WE GET INTO A SPECIFIC PROJECT WHERE FUNDS ARE NEEDED WE WILL
APPROACH THE MASTER BOARD FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDS ALONG WITH APPROVAL.

WE WOULD LIKE TO SHARE INFORMATION COLLECTED FROM THE SURVEY
WITH THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE AND POSSIBLY CREATE SEVERAL FOCUS GROUPS TO HELP
DIRECT OUR EFFORTS.WE ALSO SEE SHARING
INFORMATION WITH THE CITY OF HUGO’S LONG TERM PLANNING COMMITTEE, AND BECOMING
INVOLVED WITH THEIR AGENDA WHERE IT MAY AFFECT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

THE SURVEY SHOULD BE PROVIDED TO RESIDENTS VIA E-MAIL,
FACEBOOK, AND ON PAPER FOR THOSE NOT CONNECTED BY COMPUTER.WE CAN POSSIBLY GET A NOTICE OUT THAT SURVEYS
WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR PICK UP AT A MASTER BOARD MEETING.

AGENDA:

WE ORIGINALLY HAD TWO ITEMS ON OUR AGENDA, THE PROPERTY NEXT
TO THE POOL, AND MONUMENT SIGNS.WE
DECIDED TO TABLE THE SIGN ISSUE UNTIL WE CAN CONFIRM THAT THIS IS IMPORTANT TO
RESIDENTS VIA THE SURVEY.

WE ALL AGREED THAT IT IS IMPORTANT TO WORK ON THE VACANT
LAND BY THE POOL, AND PROVIDE OPTIONS TO THE MASTER BOARD.RACHEL BERGER WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE
IMPORTANT INSIGHT ON THIS MATTER SO WE WILL ADDRESS THE TOPIC AT THE NEXT
MEETING.

NEXT MEETING:

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 26TH 7:00 P.M. AT THE HOME OF
KIM SCANLAN, 4767 DAHLIA WAY IN CREEKSIDE VILLAS.

November 2, 2012

Goetz Landscape is offering FREE Holiday Light estimates to all Victor Gardens Residents. We can hang your own lights for you, or provide you commercial grade LED lights.

In appreciation of Victor Gardens residents using a local company for their Holiday Light provider, we will donate 5% of total proceeds to the Hugo Food Shelf just in time for the Holidays. Please contact Goetz Landscape @ 651-426-2136 or www.goetzlandscape.com to schedule your appointment.

November 1, 2012

Update 11/29/12:Previously the headline of this post used the word "Required". This was incorrect and the corresponding text has also been updated. Although the City is not requiring owners do this, there are many good reasons to do so. More info is avaivalbe in a 11/29/12 post.Hugo's Public Works Director, Scott Anderson has been discussing Victor Gardens' boulevard trees with VG's Community Manager, Kari Miller, VG's landscape contractor Goetz Landscape, and myself. Mr. Anderson has asked me to reach out to residents via email and the website.Background info:Boulevard trees are generally described as the trees planted between the sidewalk and the street curb. This area is part of the City's “street right-of-way” easement. According to VG's Covenants, each individual Single Family Village (SFV) owner is responsible for the health and upkeep of their own boulevard trees. If a SFV boulevard tree dies, the owner must replace the tree. Over the last few years, the City of Hugo's crews have begun pruning boulevard trees within Victor Gardens' city-owned parks. These include Arbre Park, Victor Square and Val Jean Park. The time has come for the rest of the neighborhood's boulevard trees to be maintained.

Q: Why do my boulevard trees need to be pruned?Pruning provides clearance for buses, garbage trucks, street sweepers, moving vans and other large curbside vehicles that can damage, or be damaged by, low branching. Pruning provides overhead clearance for pedestrians, and also facilitates visibility of traffic signs and allows motorists a clear view of intersections and driveways. Some varieties of trees also cast a dense shadow. Trimming them allows sunlight to penetrate lawn and shrub areas. In some cases, removing lower branches will eventually increases nighttime security because streetlights can bathe a broader area.

Q: How high up do my boulevard trees need to be pruned?Branches on trees in the boulevard are generally pruned to provide more clearance than trees in parks, golf courses or on private property. The City of Hugo is asking that we prune our boulevard trees so that there is a 12 to 15 foot clearance to the ground. This provides enough clearance and will develop the attractive tree lined street canopy envisioned by the original development plan.

Q: Why should seemingly healthy lower limbs be removed?Lower limbs that will eventually become problems because of their location are best removed when the tree is young. Low limbs do not rise higher as the tree gets older, but they do bend closer to the ground as the tree matures.

Q: What other kind of pruning is healthy for the trees?Pruning trees to remove dead wood, rubbing branches, crossed limbs, split or hollow limbs, storm damage, shattered wood and trunk sprouts are great ways to keep trees healthy. Pruning when the tree is young is less stressful and looks better than pruning a mature tree.

Q: My trees seem too small to prune now. Isn't it too early?It's important to develop a strong primary (scaffold) branching structure while the tree is still young. As they grow, these trees will possess a stronger branching framework that requires less corrective pruning maintenance and will be able to withstand wind, ice, or snow events. With the smaller size of some of our neighborhood's newer trees, this may be difficult and still have the tree's canopy look good. In these cases, lower limb pruning to a 15 foot clearance may be spread over a course of a few years.

Q: What time of year is best for pruning?Winter is the best season for pruning. Trees are dormant during winter and are less susceptible to stress and introduction of disease and pests. Spring will bring a new flush of growth in the top of the tree and the upper branches and will provide nutrients for the lower portion to heal properly. Winter's also a great time because problem branches are easily spotted without leaves obstructing the view.

Q: When should this pruning take place?This winter, before new buds start to form.Q: Are trees other than my boulevard trees involved?The City is primarily interested in you properly maintaining your boulevard trees. Many of the same reasons for pruning boulevard trees also applies to other trees on your property. Thoughtful pruning is a good way to promote healthy growth and sturdy structure.

Q: What do I need to do now?

In the next few weeks, I'll follow up with more information on what SFV residents need to do regarding their boulevard trees this winter. I've included some links below to give everyone a better idea of what's involved:

October 22, 2012

"I discovered on Saturday that a substitute mail delivery person had placed ALL the mail for Provence Way North in a big stack in one of the gray slots to the side of the actual locked mail boxes. I delivered all the mail to my neighbors by hand, as there were bills, bank statements and paychecks in the stack and I was concerned about theft. I contacted the post office this morning to report my concerns and they are looking into it. If any other mailstops in the neighborhood ran into the same situation it would be a good idea to report it to the Hugo Post Office Manager, Craig."

October 17, 2012

For years, the small parcel adjacent to Victor Gardens' Activity Center & Pool parking lot has been a source of frustration for many of our residents. Many of us remember the Victor Gardens Land Office that once stood there. It's trees, roses, pond and fountain were a nice addition to the neighborhood and in a prime location.

Even before the Developer turned over the master and sub-associations to the owners, there was talk about the great potential of that site. I remember meetings in which a number of interesting ideas were floated. They included, a formal french-style ornamental garden, a vegetable garden, a small park, a playground, etc. There were a number of combinations of possibilities for that spot.

Former land office site is part of a larger parcel owned by Victor Gardens' Master Assn.

Recently, one of our residents asked the Board a question about an auction that she had seen listed in the newspaper. She, and I believed it was an auction for that former land office site. In hindsight, we now know that the auction was for a different parcel in a different location. With the Board's interest peaked on the land office site, Gary Sykes (of the North Village) and Josh Berger (who represents the SFV) did some more checking. Ultimately, the City of Hugo informed Josh that the site was never subdivided. We all were under the impression that the small property was owned by a bank. As it turns out though, the site was owned by Victor Gardens Community Association (the Master Assn) all along. It was part of the same parcel that contains the Activity Center, pool and pond.

Now that the question of ownership is finally settled, Victor Gardens' Long Term Planning Committee will be taking a closer look at the possibilities for this property.

Architectural & Landscape Changes

Homeowners wishing to make changes to their home's exterior or landscape must first receive Architectural Review Committee approval. Contact your Community Manager for more info. Applications are available in the links below: